Garlic Broccoli Pasta Recipe

"This recipe takes under a half-hour to fix and makes a great weeknight entree or side dish," suggests Michele Thompson of Santa Clarita, California. "It's one of my 4-year-old's favorites. He calls the broccoli and pasta combination 'noodles and trees'."

Nutritional Facts

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, place broccoli in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water; bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

In a saucepan, saute garlic in oil until tender. Drain pasta; add to saucepan and toss to coat. Add the broccoli, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; toss to combine.Yield: 4 servings.

Originally published as Garlic Broccoli Pasta in Light & Tasty
December/January 2005, p10

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"Although I have not made this particular recipe it is very similar to a dish my Italian grandmother used to make. I have made her version many times and also throw the broccoli in the pot with the pasta at the end. She always used spaghetti pasta instead of tube pasta so that works well, too. I use grated parmesan or a parmesan-romano blend (just regular off the supermarket shelf, nothing fancy). If blandness is a problem use lots of freshly ground black pepper or even crushed red pepper flakes. A little anchovy paste or finely chopped oil-packed anchovies would boost the flavor as well, but then the children might not like it as much. Separate some out for them first."

"My husband and I both thought this was very good. I did find it a bit bland at first though. I made some changes and then it was really good. I microwaved a small amount of low fat cream cheese and milk and added it to make the pasta creamy. I also added some italian seasoning to give it more flavor. Oh, and I used bow tie pasta, because that's all I had on hand."

"I saved a pot and threw the broccoli in with the pasta for the last five minutes of cooking! I also went a little heavier on the parmesan cheese and added some crushed red pepper. I'll make this again. It couldn't be easier :)"